About the Department of Public Health

Learn more about DPH

DPH Mission and Vision

The mission of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is to prevent illness, injury, and premature death, to assure access to high quality public health and health care services, and to promote wellness and health equity for all people in the Commonwealth.

We envision a Commonwealth in which all people enjoy optimal health. Massachusetts ranks among the healthiest of states according to comparative analyses, but we face numerous challenges, including chronic and infectious disease, substance abuse, violence, preventable hospitalizations, and health disparities.

We provide programs to address specific diseases and conditions and offer services to address the needs of vulnerable populations. We also develop, implement, promote, and enforce policies to assure that the conditions under which people live are most conducive to health and enable people to make healthy choices for themselves and their families.